Metz

Where the Moselle and Seille rivers meet is the French city of Metz. We recently spent a Sunday afternoon there. Although is was cloudy, windy, and chilly, the city was very impressive.

About 100 of its buildings are classified as historic monuments.It has a rich 3000 year history and is now known for metallurgy and metallography as well as information technology.

You can see on this map, Metz is on the border of Germany and just south of the tiny country of Luxembourg.

As you know, France is divided into regions like Brittany, Burgundy, Champagne, Normandy, and Alsace, for example. Metz is located in the Lorraine region of France.

Brief history lesson -

From the Celts to the Romans and captured by the Huns of Atilla in 451, by the end of the 5th century Metz belonged to the Franks. In 925 it became part of the Holy Roman Empire. Nearly a thousand years later, in 1871, it became a German city after the Franco-Prussian War.

It was returned to France in 1918 after WWI, but in 1940 it was again annexed by the German Third Reich. It was finally captured by the U. S. Army under the command of General George S. Patton in 1944 and has been a French city since.

Lesson over.

Buildings throughout the city reminded me somewhat of Dijon as most are yellow limestone from the use of stone of Jaumont.

FYI - Pierre de Jaumont is a limestone of the Upper Jurassic, found in Malancourt-la-Montagne, in Lorraine, France. Jaumont is short for "Jaune-Montagne" meaning "Yellow Mountain". The locals call it "sunny stone" because they enjoy its cheerful sight during grey winter weather. The yellow color comes from iron rust.

This massive structure from the 13th century is Porte des Allemands or the German's Gate.

It crosses the Seille and is the only defensive castle of Metz which was not destroyed.

This beautiful church is the Protestant Temple Neuf. Built in 1904 during German occupation of Metz, the traditional limestone is replaced with pink and grey sandstone.

It overlooks the Moselle River.

The grounds are beautiful and this purple gate adds an interesting touch.

This is the Roman Catholic Cathedrale Saint Etienne de Metz.

It is called Good Lord's lantern because of all the stained glass.

This Gothic cathedral has the largest expanses of stained glass in the world. Artists who contributed to these beautiful windows include: Hermann von Munster (14th century), Valentin Bousch (16th c.), and Marc Chagall (20th c.).

Groundbreaking was in 1220 and it was completed in 1520. As with many of the churches we've visited, this one was also undergoing restoration. For some perspective - it was completed the same year Magellan began his expedition of crossing the Pacific Ocean - which had never been done before. So chances are it needs a repair or two from time to time.

Most cities have only one of these brass plates on the sidewalks, but Metz has three. I think the first one probably represents the German's Gate.

The second is a dragon named Graoully from the legend of St. Clement who, long legend short, did some fancy snake handling. After the citizens of Metz agreed to be Christian, he promised to rid them of dragons and snakes so he made the sign of the cross over them and they were immediately tamed.

The third probably represent this . . .

the City Hall.

Unfortunately we did not know of this landmark until I began researching Metz after our return.

It is a Roman aqueduct constructed in the 2nd century. It stretched from Metz to Gorze (22 km - aka 13 miles). For some perspective - this is a couple+ centuries before Constantine, Atilla the Hun, and the Codex Sinaiticus.

There is a lot to see in Metz, France